Before You Read This Blog...

Let's be honest for a moment. Most of us, at some point in life, have taken a shortcut we probably shouldn't have. Maybe it was in an exam. Maybe it was in a game. Maybe somewhere else entirely.

Competitive programming isn't immune to that. Perhaps it was for that one extra rating jump. That one coveted title. That next color on your Codeforces profile. Or maybe it was just curiosity. Whatever the reason, if you've ever looked up a solution or copied code during a contest, you probably know what comes next. The adrenaline disappears almost instantly.

The thrill of solving the problem yourself is gone. In its place comes... nothing. Or maybe guilt. Maybe regret. Maybe just another rating increase that never really felt like yours.

So here's the deal.

If you're one of those rare people who has never cheated during a competitive programming contest, you can probably skip this blog. This blog is for the people who are still cheating. Because you're the one who needs to read what's coming next.

So let me do my part and try to bring you back.

If it's been a long time since you genuinely enjoyed competitive programming, give yourself one more chance.

I'm no one to change your mind. I can't stop you from opening another tab, asking a friend, or searching for a solution. But before your next Codeforces contest, make one promise—not to me, not to anyone else, but to yourself.

For the next three hours, the only tab you'll open is Codeforces.

That's it.

If you break that promise, you may gain a few rating points, a better rank, or maybe even a new title.

But you'll have lost to the only person who actually matters — YOU.

Solve whatever you can on your own. If you solve only one problem, let it be your solution. If you get stuck, get stuck honestly. If you fail, fail honestly. Because an honest failure teaches you more than a dishonest success ever will.

And when the contest ends, don't look at your rating first.

Instead, ask yourself:

"Did those Accepted verdicts actually feel earned?"

"Did I feel the excitement of figuring something out on my own?"

I don't want to tell you how you should approach competitive programming for the rest of your life.

I'm asking for just one contest.

Try it.

If, after that, you still think cheating is worth it, I've got no comments for it.

But I have a feeling you'll rediscover something that rating can never measure — the joy of solving.